Colorado Rockies / MLB

Renck: Rockies' youngsters need to get plenty of playing time

Juan Nicasio is one of the young pitchers who will have to carry a large amount of the load as the Rockies' season progresses. (Sarah Glenn, Getty Images)

CINCINNATI — When the Rockies left spring training, it was obvious that age would be an issue. But it has become a problem on multiple levels. Their starting pitchers are too young; their key position players are too old.

Ultimately, this season is a referendum on the young rotation. There is no help on the way with a trade for the Cubs' Matt Garza or the signing of free agent Roy Oswalt (Texas looks like the favorite). If anything, the Rockies will look to subtract veterans in the rotation — Jeremy Guthrie and Jamie Moyer — to make room for Jorge De La Rosa and Drew Pomeranz sometime next month (and hopefully Jhoulys Chacin after the all-star break).

Can the crew of Juan Nicasio, Christian Friedrich and Alex White figure things out at this level without regressing? Do they need better coaching for that to happen? If nothing else is accomplished this season, those questions must be answered.

The hard part is playing at altitude. It's not an excuse, but reality. Pitching in Denver at Coors Field, even with the humidor since 2002, is extremely difficult. It makes predicting performance hard, if not foolish. Only a handful of starters have had anything resembling sustainable success, like Ubaldo Jimenez, Aaron Cook, Jeff Francis and Jason Jennings. All ended up hurt, or in Jimenez's case, unhappy.

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Let's just say if the Rockies' fivesome of Nicasio-Friedrich-Pomeranz-White-Chacin was working in San Francisco, San Diego or Los Angeles, I'd like their chances a lot more.

Three have to be solid going forward or the Rockies' future looks bleak.

The lineup is a more interesting question. While Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki are starting to simmer together, several veterans, including Marco Scutaro, Ramon Hernandez and Todd Helton, have not met expectations.

Scutaro, as with Guthrie, could become trade bait. The Rockies have little to gain by giving him at-bats if they don't crawl back into the NL West title hunt by July 1. If Colorado is buried, it would make sense to play DJ LeMahieu, Jordan Pacheco and eventually Josh Rutledge. The Rockies want to exercise patience with Nolan Arenado, the franchise's top prospect. And while Pacheco has made a nice statement at third base recently, Arenado should be in the bigs next month if he keeps raking at Double-A.

No one with the Rockies is going to come out and say they are playing for next season. With two wild-card berths, they don't have to. But as this season grows older, it will be evaluated almost exclusively on the performance of the younger players.

"The people that were incensed, obviously they're the ones that were probably behind the effort, the really weak, cowardly effort on their part," said Maddon, who called it idiotic on Twitter long after the game. "It's kind of incompetent behavior. It's the kind of behavior that gets people hurt on your own side by choosing to do something so ridiculous."

These teams have frayed each other's nerves. Dustin Pedroia was hit Friday, and Scott made disparaging remarks about Fenway Park a few weeks ago. A coy Valentine suggested that maybe that's why Scott was hit. I love the fact that Maddon didn't hold back. He's baseball's best manager and doesn't need to be a diplomat.

Still, I am not sure what is more impressive, Maddon's vocabulary or that Morales could hit his spot.

Smash things. Let's forget the Home Run Derby in Kansas City for a moment. The actual event is laborious, lasting longer than most Hollywood marriages. How about we just put the American League's Josh Hamilton and Miami's Giancarlo Stanton in the batter's box and see what happens? Hamilton put on a show at Yankee Stadium in 2008 that has never been matched. Stanton is to the Marlins what Hulk is to the "Avengers." Stanton, who has four career grand slams, broke the scoreboard with a home run last week against the Rockies, and hit a ball at Coors Field last year that I thought would reach the left-field concourse.

Hamilton vs. Stanton. Commercial free. Octagon optional.

Footnotes. The Phillies are growing old quickly, dealing with the same questions that follow the Yankees when allocating tons of long-term money to veterans. Philadelphia misses Ryan Howard (Achilles) and Chase Utley (knee), and even when the pair returns, their impact remains uncertain. ... Cubs starter Ryan Dempster is arguably baseball's funniest player. His comedic skills can help him cope with the complete lack of run support he's received this season.

Background: New York could experience an apocalyptic event, and the only thing left in Flushing would be auto salvage yards and David Wright. Or so it seems. He's been rumored to be traded for years. The Rockies certainly wanted him much of last season until the rapid development of Double-A prospect Nolan Arenado. Wright has been the face of the Mets through success — the 2006 playoff run — and embarrassing failure and controversy (see: Madoff mess). At 29, he's enjoying a renaissance after struggling with back injuries and maddening inconsistency.

What's up: Until Friday night, Wright's average sat above .400. Even more impressive, he entered Saturday reaching base at a .495 clip. That's an MVP-type number for an everyday player. Wright has built his season with work on the road. He's batting. 438 in visiting parks with 13 extra-base hits. Wright clearly has exorcised the Citi Field demons from his head. It's no secret that the park is unfriendly for right-handed pull hitters, even with the fences moved in. Wright has adjusted, letting the ball travel and driving it to right-center. He's never going to have the power of his younger years, but he can be just as effective.

Renck's take: After flirting with the idea of dealing Wright last summer, that's off the table, and the Mets are considering offering the all-star a contract extension. They have some time because he has a $16 million option for next season. Keeping Wright gives the Mets a rudder going forward after the loss of Jose Reyes. Perhaps the more salient question: Will Wright sign? He's never bailed on the Mets even when the clouds darkened and vultures circled. But this is a team that faces a long road to the playoffs with the improving Nationals and restocked Marlins. For me, Wright is the Mets' Derek Jeter. The Mets need him, and like Todd Helton with the Rockies in 2007, it would be nice to see the third baseman rewarded with a long playoff run.

Lockheed says object part of 'sensor technology' testing that ended ThursdayWhat the heck is that thing? It's fair to assume that question was on the minds of many people who traveled along Colo. 128 south of Boulder this week if they happened to catch a glimpse of what appeared to be a large, silver projectile perched alongside the highway and pointed north toward town.

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